". -..-. -"- .. ......~ ..... --~ Vol. LXXIII, No. 4 10 CENTS PER COpy Published at 501 Fifth Avenue, New York $3.00 PER YEAR IfIIi!::;:: ....~~. ... - . ~"'~.= PIANO MAKERS FOR OVER ONE HUNDRED YEARS --And in Toledo, the Chickering enjoys ex" cellent presentation in the well appointed warerooms. of the ]. W Greene Company. Published every Saturday by The Music Trades Company. Entered as second-class matter July 10, 1899. at the post office at New York, N. Y., under act of Marc·A 3) 1879. Copyright 1927 by THE MUSIC TRADES CO. THE MUSIC TRADES January 22, 1927 1-­ Full--Page Ads in Color for 1927 In The Saturday Evening Post, Liberty, American Maga."r.ine and Good Housekeeping Total circulation over seven million monthly ITH 1926 furnishing overwhelming musical merchandise. This advertising is in W proof of the public's desire for the addition to Brunswick's consistent newspaper Brunswick Panatrope, Brunswick's New advertising and Brunswick's colorful window­ Musical I nstrument, and Brunswick Records display service. by the" Light-Ray" electrical method (musi­ With such a program of advertising effort, cal photography), the Brunswick Company Brunswick dealers have the greatest sales is pleased to announce for 1927 one of the opportunity in their history. For never has most comprehensive programs of color adver­ any music dealer had finer merchandise than tising in leading magazines ever given any Brunswick dealers have at present. THE BRUNSWICK.BALKE.COLLENDER CO. GENERAL OFFICES: CHICAGO ~ e 'usic ~tab~9. n\tt~b! ~i\tQ1\ ~eil lEstabUSbtb 1890. 10 CENTS PER COpy VOLUME LXXIII. No.4 NEW YORK, JANUARY 22, 1927 Sl.OO PER YEAR Growth of General Music House Is Remarkable! Now Estimated That 50 PerCent of Music Merchants Operate Establishments as Music Department Stores-This Percentage Was .. as Low as 7 Per Cent Some Years Ago When THE MUSIC TRADES Originated Its Well Known Campaign to j Urge That Piano Dealers Add Small Goods and Other Lines to Their Stock and Vice Versa -Advantages of Carrying Everything in Music Succinctly Summarized HE growth of the general music house or music department store idea in this country has been remarkable during the recent years, espe ~ ially 8ince the .plan has been consistently advocated by THE MUSIC TRADES. Ever desirous of advancing the best interests of the music indus­ CAREFLL XAVIGATION tries, the editor of this pu.blication quickly recognized the tremendous advantages for dealer, ae, Mr. Dealer in the music business, are manufacturer and public inherent in the store that sold everything in music. He launched a series of Y you guiding your ship through the rough articles (which have appeared from time to time in the intervening years) strongly advocating the seas of comm~rce along a proper course to­ ward the harbor of substantial sales results adoption of the general music house idea. These were widely read and have b()rne fruit that, statistics or in the general direction of the rocks of show, is gratifying. disaster? When THE MUSIC TRADES first began its campaign for the music deyartment store, it was estimated This question does not merit your answer that there were then in the United States no more than 7 per cent of the music merchants who op­ until after you have read the balance of this editorial comment and the article that accom­ erated their retail establishments along lines resembling the general music house. Even these, it is panies it. recalled, were by no means music department stores. The majority of them carried pianos and some Fifty per cent of the retail music businesses other musical instruments or sheet music. None of them stocked everything in music---from small in this country today are conducted as, general stringed instruments to pianos, including phonographs, band equipment, accessories, etc. music department stores, according t<1 a care­ ful estimate res ulting from our recent survey Today, due in a large measure to the consistent, up- of the entire field. Some years ago when The building efforts of THE MUSIC TRADES, fully half of isfactory service previously is strong in most buyers. the music merchants in this country operate as gen­ Music Trades inaugurated its V\'ell-known cam­ Customers like to trade with firms whose reputation paign in be:h:llf of this practicaJ plan of bus.i­ eral music houses. Whereas some years ago the music they know and can trust. And customers' musical needs department stores were counted by scores, today they ness administration, there were scarcely seven are steadily increasing in this generation. per cent of the music dealers who were op­ may be enumerated by hundreds, and even total thou­ erating general music stores. sands of establishments! In many of these one may The boy who buys a harmonica today is the prospect buy everything in music, harmonicas, ukuleles, violins, for a better musical instrument tomorrow. If he found This growth speaks for itself. The plan woodwinds, complete equipment for a band or orches­ pleasure in playing the harmonica, then his interest in has proved acceptable to many dealers else tra, including devices for novelty jazz effects, phono­ music will prompt him to buy, let us say, a ukulele. they wDuld not have continued to operate un­ graphs, radio receivers and pianos from upright styles What is more natural than that this boy should return £ler it. They have benefited in many ways. to handsome and expensive reproducers in period de­ to the store where he purchased the harmonica for the Some of these results of a substantial business nature will he reiterated in a new series of signs. ukulele? It happens time and time again. If, how­ ever, the dealer does not carry ukuleles or banjos or articles on this important. subject, of whic:h Growth Based on Sound Business Policy violins, then he will not merely lose this sale, but he this is the introductory chapter. If you are This tremendous growth of the general music house may also lose others-strings for the instrument, picks, in the fift~, per cent which continues to con­ duct your store according to the old method, In the United States could not have resulted if the sheet music, etc. And, moreover, he may lose the cus­ policy advocated by THE MUSIC TRADES had not been tomer. For once the boy finds a general music house you will want to read these articles. If you sound in all particulars and of benefit to all concerned which is equipped to satisfy all of his musical wants, are in the other half, now operating as gen­ -that is, seller and buyer. Moreover, this widespread he naturally trades there. eral music houses, you will want to read the adoption of the music department store idea is, doubt'­ The general music merchant has an opportunity to articles, too, so as to be on the lookout for less, the best evidence that it fills a need in the busi­ get all of the business in his community. He is any new ideas wh.ich will enable you to be of ness of selling music, both from the merchant's point equipped to do business all of the time. Every season even greater service to the music buyers in your community. of view and that of the purchaser. Else the idea would is a busier season for him than it would be if he special­ have lapsed into innocuous desuetude long before now. ized in one 01· two instruments. Summer activity is The dealer carrying everything 'in music has Some of the reasons for this will bear restating gen­ an actuality. The much dreaded "good old summer a better opportunity to distribute his fixed erally in this the first of a series of articles on the time," when sales ordinarily shrink, is feared no more. rharges and overhead more evenly. The gen­ general music house that are to be published in THE The music department store is busy the year around. eral store caters to the demands of a year­ MUSIC TRADES. They will serve to bring to the atten­ The more complete assortment of musical products round trade, and gets more cash on the coun­ tion of music dealers throughout the country the de­ makes a vastly wider appeal than a stock comprising ter. With everything in music your retail busi­ sirability of adopting without delay the music depart­ only a few. In short, every member of each family ness will be the mecca for all music buyers. ment store policy, if they have not yet done so; or if becomes a prospect. The daughter who takes piano les­ You will have a constant turnover in your busi­ they are embarked on the music department store sons buys sheet music. The boy who plays the saxo­ ness. Moreover, and this is a highly important policy, to lose no time in enlarging the scope of their vhone buys reeds. Father comes in for records or point, each line of goods you sell gives you a merchandise so that it will include everything in music. needles on his way home from the office. Even grand­ list of prospects for other instruments. The In the first place, it must be borne in mind that the ma may stop in the store for a collection of those "old­ harmonica huyer today will come back later general music house poncy benefits everybody all along time familiar songs we all love so well." for a costly violin, clarinet or piano. This idea has been unequivocally endorsed by the the line. The manufacturer profits, whether he makes There are so many phases of the general music house pianos or phonographs, woodwinds or stringed instru­ leading piano manufacturers, as well as mak­ plan that all of them may not be considered adequately ers of other musical instruments and acces­ ments, brasses or drums, or merely accessories.